Method of making printing elements and matrices therefor



E. E. NOVOTNY.

METHOD OF MAKING PRINTING ELEMENTS AND MATRICES THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, I917.

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METHOD OF MAKING PRINTING ELEMENTS AND MATRICES THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. II, I917.

1 57,344, Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

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/NVENTO]? Em iZE/Voroirzy- A TTORNEYS I and plates.

To all whom it may concern." I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL E. NOVOT'NY, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 J. STOGDELL STOKES, OF MOORESTQWN, NEW JERSE'E.

METHOD OE MAKING PRINTING ELEMENTS AND MATRICES THEREFOR.

Be it'known that I, EMIL E. Novo'rnr a citizen of the United States, residing at (51- ney, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Printing Elements and Matrices 'Iherefor, of vwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of matrices for reproducing printing elements, such as printing plates and type 1ntended to be used for printing, embossing and similar purposes, andisalso applicable to the manufacture of such elements, that is to say, the method herein described may be resorted to for manufacturing both matr ces By the practice of my invention the article, such as the matrix or plate, may be made with the application of but little pressure, as for example, pressures substantially as low those employed in the operation of the ordinary printing press, and'thus I eliminate the possibility of damaglng, marring or destroying the original type matter or plate used in the making of the matrix,

no matter how soft the material of such type or plate maybe, and at the same time I also avoid the liability of breaking down or 1njuring the matrix itself. Briefly,'1n following out the invention I prepare a mat or blank by impregnating a body of fibrous or absorbent material with a plastlc substance, usually in solution, and which 1s capable of being hardened and set under heat and pressure, or heat, pressure and cooling, this substance being preferably in the nature of a phenolic condensation prod-- not, such as bakelite, condensiteand others of this general class. After the mat or blank has been so prepared, and it is.

desired to make a matrix or plate, I saturate such mat with water, which will inflate and fill the fibers of the mass, thus reducing the same to a pulpy, easily manipulated and moldable condition, and et the water, not being a solvent of the p enolic condensation product, may be subsequently, in the practice of my invention, driven ofi or evaporated bythe action of the heat and pressure. Thus in making a matrix, forinstance, the ap lication of heat and pressure to the pheno ic impregnated, water saturated mat or blank, which is thus reduced to Specifieatiomi of Letters Patent.

Fatenteel Nov. 21, 1920.

Application filed August 11, 191?. Serial No. 185,742.

a soft pliable and'pulpy-like condition, will cause the image of the original type matter or plate being used in making the matrix, to be reproduced to the minutest detail, and as the water is evaporated, the original phenolic condensation product, or any other material employed for the same purpose will purpose of making makeready corrections.

In the present instance I will describe my lnventlon as applicable to the method of making several forms of matrices, but I wish it to be understood that the invention may also be practised in the making of printlng plates themselves, under' such conditions the mat or blank being subjected to heat and pressure against a mold or matrix to reproduce in the printing plate the elevated type characters or printing portions.

In the accompanying drawings:

. Figure 1 is a cross sectional View showing a mat or blank comprising one full thickness of fibrous material, such as blotting paper, or the like, impregnated with a phenolic cement, and this mat may be used for making a matrix back or may be employed for the complete matrix.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of a matrix face portion comprising a fibrous sheet or layer, impregnated with a phenolic condensation product and having a metal facing layer preferably of an alloy of lead and tin, this metallic facing being cemented to the fibrous sheet.

- Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the matrix facing portion of Fig. 2 being run through a series of rollers in order'to secure the embossing elfect desired.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing 1 the matrix face section of Fig. 2 on a body ventionally illustrated press and provided with bearers to regulate the depth of impression.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of a matrix mat or blank.

I will now proceed to describein detail a matrix made as will be understood from Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings inclusive, this being a two-part matrix made up of a matrix back portion, illustrated in FigE. 1, and a matrix face portion illustrated in ig. 2. It will be understood, however, that the matrix itself might be made from a mat, such as shown in 1, or a mat, such as shown in Fig. 2, but preferably I make it of a combination of these two mats or pertions.

Referring to Fig. 2, wherein I have shown a facing portion of the matrix mat, the numeral 1 indicates a layer of fibrous absorbent material, such as blotting paper, and this is impregnated with a plastic material capable of hardening under heat and pressure, and preferably applied in the form of a solution, the material employed being a phenolic condensation product, or phenolic varnish, boiled down in a water bath until it assumes a heavy, plastic condition and dissolved while in this condition by a suitable solvent, which before it is hardened, is well adapted for the practice of my invention. Of course instead of impregnating a sheet of fibrous material with this phenolic condensation product, I might impregnate various fibers or absorbent granules, but unless a very high percentage of the fibrous or granular material be used, the requisite impregnation of the materials cannot be. at-

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tained, and therefore it is difficult to make a proper matrix because of the lack of proper compressibility; 0n the other hand, if a high percentage of the fibers orrgranules be employed, the syrupy, sticky phenolic condensation-product is liable to ooze out from the 'matrix and damage the type body.

Therefore, I prefer to impregnate a fibrous sheet of blotter material, or the like, with the solution of the phenolic condensation product, as I am thus able to employ a moderate amount of the latter material, which will give the proper compressibility in the making of the matrix, and which will not ooze out over the type. This sheet or layer 1, I preferably provide with a facing or top layer, shown at 2, the latter being preferably in the nature of a metal foil, such as t1nfoil or lead-foil, or an alloy of tin and lead. lhis facin 2 is caused to adhere to the sheet orlayer 1 y a suitable cement. Thls may be a phenolic cement itself, but :Ipreferably employ a substance having greater adhesive power and for this purpose I have found gum rubber in carbon making of the matrix, this face portion or sheet comprising the layers 1 and 2, cemented together and made as heretofore de .scribed, is saturated with water until the point .of the saturation of the fibrous material has reached the maximum and the facing portion is soft, pliable and yielding. I prefer to use water for the purpose of saturation because it is a comparatively heavy fluid and atthe same-time is capable of great penetration and does not dissolve the binding material with which the fibrous body is impregnated. I may use alcohol or other volatile substances in the place of water, or use a solid solvent of the phenolic condensation product, but the results will not be as satisfactory as if water alone were employed for saturation. After the facing sheet has been made and saturated as just described, it is placed on a body of type, and locked in the chase, as shown at T in Fig. 3, and a blanket or blankets of felt, or other yielding material shown at F, is placed on top and subjected to pressure, preferably by means of rollers R. In order to reduce the pressure on the top as far as possible, several thicknesses of felt can be added, from time to time, each time being subjected to pressure so that gradually the required printing depth of the facing sheet is secured, with nomore than ordinary printing pressure. Finally, in order to secure the individual depth within the type letters themselves, a resilient material, as differentiated from the yielding material, or felt, may be employed. This resilient material is preferably in the form of a rubber sheet,

such as an offset blanket used on offset printing presses, although newspaper could be usedwhen the yielding characteristics of the matrix body itself will in a sense compensate for, or serve the same purpose for the rubber in the blanket. In actual operation, a series of rolls may be used, three or four of which maybe covered with felt while the last roll may be covered with the rubber ofiset blanket to give the individual type depth.

After the matrix has been thus imposed or peened into sha e, and the blankets or rolls removed there rom, the back portion is built up by the application of suitable filling powder shown at 3 in Fig. 4. For this purpose I' prefer to use a phenolic powder in connection with lamp black or carbon inasmuch as these possess a high degree of incompressibility when hardened, which will cause the non-printing parts of a matrix to stand great pressure during the molding of a printing element therein. Under heat and pressure, before "it is hardened, this material has considerable plasticity and flow thus molding itself to the regularities and irregularities of a matrix. Wood fiour or asbestos impregnated with a phenolic varnish do not answer the purpose as well because the former is more compressible ahd the latter does not set to a hard compact mass with the low pressures'used at the non-printing parts of a'matrix.

After the filling powder has been added I impose upon thisrface portion of the matrix, a fibrous back portion, such as shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by the numeral 4:. This back portion is in the nature of a relatively thick sheet of fibrous material, such as blotter, also impregnated. with phenolic material and is likewise saturated with water to render it pliable, soft and yielding, and the two portions going to make up the matrix body and thus assembled will appear as shown in Fig. 4. The type matter with the matrix body thereon is now placed in a press, conventionally illustrated at P in Fig. 5 provided with suitable bearers B to limit depth of type impression, and the platens of the press being heated, the matrix is subjected to heat and pressure for a suitable length of time, say from one to ten minutes, to impress the type into the face portion of the matrix, and to cause the matrix to receive a smooth, level back except for any makeready corrections that it may be desired to reproduce therein. Not only will the minutest details of the original type matter be reproduced in the molding face of the matrix, but the latter, owing to the soft, pliable and yielding condition in which the water saturated fibrous sheets are at this time, will take such impression from the type body under very low pressure. half tones appear in a matrix of this kind, the pressure'may be brought up as high as from 100 to 500 lbs. per square inch of subject matter, or to the bearers which are placed between the platens of the press, and then the pressure released to allow the matrix to cook with. just sufiicient pressure against the same by the top platen to maintain contact between such top platen and the matrix body. This will allow any gases to escape through the reaction and the action of heat on both the water and the phenolic condensation product. In a very short time, or in about two minutes, mostof' these gases will have been eliminatedfbut the matrix will still be in a soft and pliable condition, and the pressure may then again be'applied or increased so that the platens are closed against the bearers and a pressure of about 100 lbs. per square inch is again exerted on the matrix and on the type, and such matrix may be heated or cooked until it is sufiiciently set. This heating or cooking of the matrix while in contact with the type, even though the pressure be. very slight, brings out the finest details of halftone screen, this being due to the action of the gases and vapors while the matrix is being formed under heat and pressure. This screen detail could Where not be attained by direct pressure without heat unless the pressure was increased to such an extent as to mash or break the type which in the case of linotype or monotype is comparatively, soft.

If desired, the matrix, when thus molded, may be allowed to cool while in the press, and in such instance, of course it will be seen that the matrix would be made under heat, pressure and cooling.

Referring to Fig. 6, I have shown a slightly modified form of mat which may be used for the face portion of the matrix. In this instance a sheet of matrix paper shown at 5 is coated with a kaolin coating, such as is commonly known'in the trade as .litho coating, and this kaolin coating, indicated at 6 is impregnated with a phenolic cement. A foil sheet 7, if desired, may be used as a facing sheet and is attached to the matrix paper sheet 5 by means of suitable material, such as rubber cement. The litho coating 6 is selected to be either more or less absorbent than the body portion of the matrix paper or sheet 5, and this enables the penetration of the phenolic cement to a sufficient depth to firmly bind the litho coating to the matrix sheet. The matrix sheet may in turn be saturated with water or any suitable solution. The impression against the type is taken as before mentioned and the matrix may be dried by means of a stereotypers blanket while on the type in order to elimi' nate all of the water with which it has beenv moistened. Nhen dry, the pressure'of the. platens of the press is removed, the stereotypers blanket taken off and the matrix lifted from the type and it is, then impregnated with any suitable cement which capable of hardening the material and will withstand the pressures and heat mentioned. For this purpose I prefer to use a phenolic varnish in an alcohol solution. This is applied so that the unimpregnated portion is throughly hardened and then it is replaced on the type, built up with the powder, as

mentioned for the matrix previously described, and backed up with a backing portion of the matrix as heretofore mentioned.

Matrices of this kindcan preferably be reproduced by the mere application of heat and pressure in the press but for difiicult subjects it may be desirable to cool the press before the matrix is removed therefrom phenolic solvent some time prior to being placed on the matrix in the casting box and before such box is closed and before pressure between the press platens is applied.

I do not herein make claim to a composite sheetor mat, the article itself, the present claims being directed to the method herein set forth, while claims to the article in its generic aspect are included in my copending application' Serial No. 198,975, filed Gctober 29, 1917.

While'I have herein shown anddescribed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to all the precise details herein set forth by way of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

-1. The herein described method which comprises impregnating a fibrous body, to a degree less than saturation, with a synthetic resinous material adapted to harden and set under heat and pressure, then saturating the fibrous body, so impregnated, with a fluid to reduce such bodyto a relatively soft condition, and then molding said body, while in such condition, under heat and pressure to evaporate the fluid and to harden and set the synthetic resinous mater'ial'fi the fibrous body.

2. The herein described method which comprises impregnating a fibrous body, to a degree less than complete saturation, with a synthetic resinous material, saturating said impregnated body with'a fluid which, is'not a solvent of the synthetic resinous material and thereby reducing the body to a soft, pliable condition, then subjecting the body in such condition to relatively low pressure in contact with an article to be produced, and subsequently subj ecting such body while still in contact with the article to heat and pressure to eliminate the fluid and to harden and set the synthetic resin in the fibrous body. v

3. The herein described method -which comprises impregnating a fibrous body, to a degree less than saturation, with a synthetic resinous material, then saturating said impregnated body with water containing a catalytic agent to reduce such body to a soft, pliable condition, then molding said body under heat and pressure and while in such soft, pliable condition to evaporate the water and to harden and set the synthetic resinous material in the fibrous body.

4:. The herein described method which comprises impregnating a fibrous body with plastic material adapted to harden and set under heat and pressure, saturating said impregnated body with a fluid to reduce the same to a soft, pliable condition, subjecting said body in such condition to relatively low pressure against the article to be molded-to form the initial impression of the article in the body, then subjecting the body to heat and to. relatively low pressure against the article to be reproduced, momentarily releasing said pressure to permit the escape of gases, and then again applying the pressure to complete the molding operation, and then hardening and setting the molded body.

5. The herein described method which comprises applying a facing sheet composed my hand.

EMIL E. NOVOTNY. 

